It’s surprisingly easy to gravitate towards Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi. She is a woman of both style and substance, but one so hard-working and generous with a joie de vivre so contagious that one would feel right at home with her. “I don’t take myself too seriously,” says the writer, television host, and lifestyle columnist. “And I think that translates to what I wear because I’m now at a point where I’m very comfortable with myself.”

In the Genes

As a little girl, Stephanie took her fashion cues from her ultra-glamorous mum, the lovely Vicky Zubiri. Then a fashion designer and head of a successful couture business, Vicky would take her daughter to work, where Stephanie found herself surrounded by bolts of fabric and baskets full of beads and sequins. “Her workshop was my playground,” shares Stephanie. “It was a fun and interesting way to be introduced to the world of fashion because I got to see how garments were actually made. That sort of learning environment has an effect on how I look at clothes today.” Sharing her mum’s passion for design, Stephanie explored her own creativity by sewing clothes for her Barbie dolls and staging mini fashion shows with friends in the family’s living room.

Aside from spending time at her mum’s workplace, Stephanie also enjoyed watching Vicky get ready for nights out in her sanctuary. “Her bathroom was the most amazing place in the world for me at that time,” says Stephanie. “Everything was marble; she had closets with mirrored doors and a large black bathtub right in the middle. There was a little stool reserved for me so I could watch her choose her outfits and do her make-up.” And as soon as Vicky left, Stephanie would open her closets and play dress-up.

She had plenty of lovely things of her own. Back then, mum and daughter often stepped out in matching outfits. “I was, in many ways, a small Vicky Zubiri,” Stephanie recalls fondly. “Whatever she had, she had replicated in miniature for me. Just imagine a seven-year-old in a Dynasty dress with shoulder pads!” As she grew older, she began to explore other possibilities. The ’80s aesthetic was a particularly memorable one for her; she got into crimped hair and neons during the heyday of Jem and the Holograms.

The Bourgeois Bohemian

Stephanie began to find her footing in style when she left the Philippines to study in Paris. “It was a very educational six years,” she reflects. “When I was there, I learnt that style-wise, the French placed a lot of value on understated elegance—think classic cuts and high-quality materials. It was my first time getting to discover another side of fashion with no influence from home.” Paris was also where she made her first ever luxury purchase. Stephanie had saved up money she earned from her internship to buy a Gucci hobo bag in camel-coloured leather, a tried and tested favourite that she still uses today.

She has never been too preoccupied with labels, but will happily pay for pieces that are well-constructed and come with interesting stories. Stephanie doesn’t concern herself with being trendy, either. She’ll try something out if it interests her, but will not explore it further nor follow it if it doesn’t suit her. “I don’t spend that much on clothing,” Stephanie says. “But when I do, I make it a point to collaborate with a local designer. It’s doubly gratifying to own something so unique and do my part in supporting the Philippine fashion industry.” Some of her favourites are TC Alvarez, Rosanna Ocampo, and Boom Sason. She has a special relationship with designer Rajo Laurel which began when she first came to him to work on a dress for her birthday. The request was for an ethnic, chic cocktail dress. Stephanie, who loves the occasional eye-catching print (she adores ikat), was impressed with his selections of fabrics from India and Thailand. She is also keen on fast fashion; she likes shopping at Zara, Mango, and Massimo Dutti. Whenever she’s abroad, she drops by Maje, Sandro, Belair, and Zadig et Voltaire. “These brands carry well-priced, top quality pieces with small details that make them extra special,” she adds.

She cheerfully admits to being a shoe fiend. Her signature day-to-day ensemble is jeans or tailored shorts with a good shirt, which she then jazzes up with a pair of fab shoes (whether it be heels or sneakers) and fun accessories that she picks up during her travels. As a working mum who is constantly on the go, she turns to separates for easy mix and match. “Not many women can say that they’ve worn their wedding dresses more than once,” Stephanie shares. “I had both of them reworked to wear on other occasions.” In fact, the gown she wore to this year’s Philippine Tatler Ball is actually a two-piece ensemble of a bodysuit and a big skirt, which is true to her versatile aesthetic.

“I dress for my body type, which I feel is very important if you want clothes that fit well on you,” she adds. “I’m lean and quite curvy, so it’s ’50s silhouettes all the way.” A bonafide style chameleon, she also believes in the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Stephanie enjoys adapting to local style culture when she travels; she makes it a point to marry her signature style with that of the country she’s visiting. “Clothing can be a cultural emblem that allows you to build bridges and make connections,” she says. “My wardrobe for a sojourn in Bali would not be the same as what I would bring to a week in New York or Paris, where people are much edgier.”

Read more about Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi in the January 2017 issue of Philippine Tatler, available in all leading newsstands and bookstores. Download a digital copy on your device via Zinio, Magzter, and PressReader.

Photography by Raymund Isaac | Styling by Monique Madsen